Just two years
from now, Utahns will see a brand new Salt Lake International Airport opening.

A construction
project that has been decades in the making is underway at the airport, as
crews are working to build a new parking garage, central terminal and a new
north and south concourse.

“One of the
biggest milestones was in May,” said Nancy Volmer, the airport public relations
director. “That’s when one of the final steel beams went up.”

Why build a new airport?

When the Salt
Lake International Airport was first built in the 1960s, it was designed for 10
million passengers per year. But now, more than 60 years later, the airport
serves more than 24 million passengers annually, and that number is increasing.

Volmer says
with the current design, only one plane can take off at a time, and the airport
wasn’t built for a hub operation.

“There’s
congestion on the curb side, there’s congestion on the gate side,” Volmer
explained. “There’s not enough seating for passengers waiting for their
flights.”

Who is paying for the new airport?

“No local
taxpayer dollars are being spent on the airport,” Volmer said.

For the $3.6
billion reconstruction project, the airport is relying on several major areas
of funding:

41.3 percent -
Future bonds to pay for the remaining cost

23 percent -
2017 revenue bonds issued by the airport

14.8 percent -
Airport savings

11.5 percent -
Passenger facility charges

4.9 percent -
Rental car facility charges

4.5 percent -
Federal grants

Volmer says one
of the primary reasons why the Salt Lake International Airport is able to fund
the reconstruction project without local taxpayer assistance is because the
airport has been saving for this project since the 1990s.

“People who use
the airport are helping pay for this redevelopment. Passenger user fee, the
airlines, the car rental user fees,” Volmer said.

Future Changes

One of the
biggest changes that will push the Salt Lake International Airport into the
spotlight is security. The new airport will have state of the art equipment for
security screening to help cut down on wait times and limit the hassle as
passengers try to make their flights.

The entire
design of the airport is focused on making it easier for passengers, Volmer
explained.

“You can check
your bag, print your boarding pass, go through security, and you won’t have to
go up and down levels. It (will be) convenient for passengers,” Volmer said.

· A larger
parking garage able to fit up to 3,600 vehicles, with separate areas for drop
off and pick up.

· Separate
arrival and departure levels

· On-site car
rental pick-up and drop-off counters

· Tech friendly
with more locations to plug in electronics

·
More shopping and dining

What is Phase 2?

Phase 1 is
expected to be completed by Fall 2020, and then construction will begin on
Phase 2, which includes building the north and south concourses on the east
side, the demolition of concourses B, C and D, and the demolition of the
International Terminal.